


Haunted

by ericsonclan



Series: OG World [38]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Childhood Trauma, F/F, F/M, Panic Attacks, Repressed Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25376035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: Louis comes across something in the woods that shakes him to his very core.
Relationships: Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running), Louis & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Prisha/Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: OG World [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815361
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	Haunted

**Author's Note:**

> (by Laura)

“…And that’s the story of why I hate cantaloupe,” Louis finished with a flourish, throwing Chairles back over his shoulder.

“Fascinating. Certainly not what I expected,” Prisha had her own weapon sheathed at her side, the metal tapping against her thigh as they walked amongst the traps. “You know, I’ve never been much of a picky eater myself. My parents would never listen if I did complain about a certain meal, and I guess the years on the road beat out whatever peculiarities I had toward food in the first place,”

“Yeah, Clem’s the same way. Put literally anything edible in front of her and she will _demolish_ it,” Louis shook his head with a smile.

Prisha watched Louis in amusement. It was sweet how proud Louis got over every little thing Clementine did, turning mundane facts into full-on accomplishments. Clementine seemed to appreciate the attention as well, though sometimes the praise got to be a bit much even for her. She’d compensate by throwing compliments right back at Louis which the poor boy couldn’t handle at all, quickly devolving into a flustered mess. It was the strangest form of competition Prisha had ever seen.

“Hey, did Violet ever tell you about the time she ate a horse eyeball?”

“What?”

“Yep! To think you’ve been kissing lips that have eaten _that_ ,” Louis winked playfully before protesting as Prisha socked him in the arm. “Ow! You two certainly are a match,”

Prisha looked away, not wanting to share the smile tugging at her own lips. It had only been a couple of weeks since she and Violet had made things official and told the rest of the group they were dating. Everyone had been ecstatic for them, especially Louis. Of course, he tried to claim credit for the entire thing, saying that he was the one who dragged Violet down to the trading camp to begin with. Prisha knew Louis was partially right, but neither she nor Violet wanted to give him the satisfaction of admitting it.

A growl came from Prisha’s right side. Her eyes shot up, her good hand immediately resting upon the hilt of her axe. Louis had Chairles ready in hand, his eyes scanning the clearing. They hadn’t seen James in several weeks which likely meant he’d migrated further south for a while. With him gone, some herds had begun to make their way into Ericson territory. It looked like there were several flanking both sides. Best to clear them out than risk being cornered worse during a retreat.

Louis was the first to attack. Swinging out, he bashed a walker’s head in before it could reach either of them. Prisha whipped her axe to the right, impaling another walker’s skull before pulling her weapon out with a sickening squelch. They were both melee fighters. That meant their aim had to be true and their coordination sharp to avoid mistiming an attack and ending up trapped in a walker’s grasp.

“Come on, buddy. Over here,” Louis teased, egging one of the walkers on to separate it from the others. As it approached, he caught it on the upswing, knocking its jaw clean off. With another hit it was dead. 

Prisha kicked out a walker’s knee, taking a page from Clementine’s book and buying herself more time as she took a defensive stance against the nearest walker. Her blow hit near one of the eyes, pulling it out as she drew her weapon back.

This wasn’t too bad. There were less than a half dozen walkers left and they were spaced out far enough to leave options for attacks. Louis swiped out at another walker. Chairles became embedded in the side of the walker’s skull, but not deep enough to kill it. Improvising, Louis swung again, pinning the walker to a tree and smashing its head between the trunk and Chairles. In some strange way, its death reminded him of the first day he’d gone hunting with Clementine and invited her to play walker piñata. Those days were behind him though.

A low moan behind him reminded Louis that his work still wasn’t done. Pivoting backwards, he struck the walker with all his might. It immediately slumped lifelessly to the ground. That was when Louis got his first clear view of its face, or what remained of it. Immediately he felt sick. He’d seen hundreds of walkers at this point, maybe thousands. Killed countless ones over the years. But he’d never seen one with a face that reminded him so much of his past. The jaw, the receding hairline, the shape of its nose… even amidst all the decay, Louis felt as if he was looking into the dead face of his father.

“Louis, get over here! We’ve still got three more!” Prisha turned to see what was taking him so long. Louis stood with his back to her, hunched over, his hands on his knees. What was going on? “Louis?”

No response.

She’d have to handle them herself. Turning back to the walkers, Prisha internally cursed her bad luck, wishing she still had two good arms for the millionth time before circling to the side of the walkers and striking one against the side of the head. _The walker immediately dropped dead. The fusion of the parietal and sphenoid still remains the weakest point on the skull,_ Prisha thought to herself. She always ended up rotating through random trivia when she got nervous. Sometimes the points came in handy.

The second walker lurched forward with surprising speed, latching onto Prisha’s bum arm. With an angry cry Prisha began to hack away at its arm. On the third strike she’d torn through enough of the muscle and was able to break free, surging forward to nail the culprit right between the eyes. Throwing the lifeless corpse on top of the final walker, Prisha strode forward, smashing its face under her boot until a bloody, indistinguishable mess lay where its head once was. She then turned to check on Louis.

Things had gotten worse. Louis had collapsed against a tree now. His face was obscured by his dreadlocks, but Prisha could tell by the rise and fall of his shoulders that he was breathing heavily. She hurried over, sheathing her weapon so she could place her hand upon his shoulder. “Louis, stay with me. What’s going on? Are you bit?” Her eyes scanned his body for bite marks but couldn’t find any. Pushing back his hair, Prisha looked into her friend’s eyes. They were glassy with tears. “Can you stand up, Louis? I’m taking you home. We’ll send someone else out to check the traps,”  
Louis didn’t acknowledge that he’d heard her. He seemed to be trapped within his thoughts, his eyes darting back and forth but not focusing on anything in front of him.  
Prisha slid her arm behind Louis, slipping it underneath his own arms to try and hoist him to his feet. “I need you to try to stand, Louis. Can you do that for me?”

Her words seemed to break through this time, at least enough for Louis to put effort into rising to his feet. After a few seconds he was up, though still leaning against the tree for support.

“Alright, I have my weapon. Do you have yours?”

Louis wouldn’t look up. “Over there,” he murmured, weakly gesturing to his right.

Prisha spotted the weapon buried deep within a walker’s skull. Approaching it hesitantly, Prisha grabbed the base of the chair leg and pulled it out with a firm yank. She observed the walker with a morbid curiosity. Was this what had caused such a visceral reaction in Louis? From the age of the walker, it didn’t look like it could have been one of the students in its past life before it turned. Perhaps one of the teachers? Were there walkers the Ericson kids would still recognize wandering round these woods? There was no time to figure this out now. She had to get Louis home. Prisha looked at Louis’ chair leg in her hand. Could she carry it and support him at the same time?

“I can take it,” Louis’ voice wavered. “Chairles. I can carry him- it,”

“Alright then,” Prisha handed the weapon over to Louis. She was surprised at the strength of his grasp upon it. Coming over to his left side, Prisha placed her arm around his shoulder. “We’re going to take things slow. I’ll keep an eye out for danger. You just focus on walking, OK?”

Louis nodded, gulping roughly before he took a shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,”

“It’s fine, Louis. Let’s just get home. We can talk once we’re behind the walls,” 

\---

It was a little ways home. They’d expanded the traps to a new area of the forest in order to avoid thinning out the rabbit population in any one region too much. It had seemed like a wise decision at the time, but now Prisha was wishing they’d waited to make the change. She could tell that Louis’ strength was faltering. Whatever adrenaline he had summoned to help get the two of them home might not last till they reached the gates.

“Just a little further, Louis. Focus on putting one foot in front of the other,” She could feel his weight increasing against her arm. If he fell, she wasn’t sure if she could lift him back up. She certainly couldn’t leave him in this state, not even to run and get help. _We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it,_ Prisha decided, setting her jaw and pressing onward.

As soon as they were within eyesight of the gates, Willy spotted them. Immediately his eyes widened. “Clem, Aasim, something’s wrong! Prisha and Louis are back early!” He leapt down from the watchtower to help, throwing open the gate and running forward to take Louis’ other side.

Prisha offered him a weak smile. “Thanks, squirt,”

“What’s wrong? Is he bit?”

“I don’t think so. He saw something out there that shook him up. I think if we get him inside to rest for a while, he’ll be fine,” They made their way through the gate together. 

Omar immediately closed it behind them. “What can I do?”

“Get Ruby. Also some cold water if we have any,” Prisha instructed.

Omar nodded, running off.

Clementine emerged from the admin building, her eyes wide. “Louis!” She rushed down the stairs, mistiming her steps. Her prosthetic crumpled beneath her, sending her tumbling to the ground. Aasim rushed up behind her, trying to help her to her feet. She swatted his hands away, pushing herself back up and striding forward. As Prisha sat Louis down at the nearest picnic bench, Clementine reached them. “What happened?”

“We ran into a pack of walkers and Louis froze. I don’t think he’s bit. It must be something else,”

Clementine cupped Louis’ face, turning it from side to side, checking him for bites. “Louis?”

Louis was lucid, but seemed ashamed, his eyes lowered. 

Clementine peeled off his coat, checking his arms for bites before moving to his legs. When she was sure he was clean, she turned back to Prisha. “What the hell happened out there?”

“I… I honestly don’t know,” Prisha answered, eyes helpless. “He was right beside me joking one second and the next he was slumped on the ground against a tree. I think, maybe… perhaps it had something to do with the last walker he fought,”

An ugly sob escaped Louis’ throat. Bending forward, his head fell into his hands as weeping shook his frame. His hands curled into his dreadlocks, gripping them fiercely.

“Louis,” Clementine sat down beside him, an arm going round his shoulders. “You’re safe, OK? You’re home. I’m right here,”

A.J. had appeared beside Prisha, a confused expression upon his face. “What’s wrong with Louis?”

Aasim put a hand upon his shoulder. “We’re not sure yet. Let’s just give him some space for now, OK?”

The pounding of feet came from the direction of the dorms. Prisha looked up to see Violet barreling towards them. She stopped just short of collision, her breathing shaky. “Willy said there was an accident. What happened? Where’s-”

“I’m here, Vi,” Prisha said, reaching out to take her girlfriend’s hand. 

Violet grasped onto her like a vice. “Prisha! Are you… did…”

“I’m not bit,” Prisha’s thumb rubbed circles against Violet’s hand. “I’m OK,” She could feel Violet’s hand trembling slightly beneath her. She hated seeing her so frightened.

Violet relaxed for a moment before stiffening again. “Louis. Is he-”

“He’s here too,” Willy piped in. “Prisha said he’s not bit either,”

Violet’s expression was still somber. Though she couldn’t see her friend clearly, Prisha knew she could hear the sobbing. None of them were sure what to do.

“Clear out, everybody!” Ruby ordered, marching through the group to reach Louis. She observed him for a second before turning to Prisha. “No bites?”

“No bites. We’ve checked multiple times,”

Ruby shook her head, her lips pursed. “This ain’t normal behavior for a bite victim anyway. This looks like trauma. What went down out there?”

“It seemed like a normal herd to me. We were about halfway through when Louis just fell apart,” Prisha sighed, lowering her eyes. “I wish I knew more,”

Ruby turned back to look at Louis. “Give him a few minutes. Everyone but Clem clear out. We can talk as soon as he’s gotten it all out,”

It seemed an odd treatment, doing nothing, but no one dared defy Ruby. They each returned to their respective tasks, Ruby staying nearby and helping Omar with his dinner prep. Clementine stayed by Louis’ side, an arm around his shoulders, gently rubbing his back as she waited for the tears to subside. She hated feeling so helpless. Louis was always so happy amid everything. To see him like this was heartbreaking. She never wanted him to feel such pain. But all she could do was wait and hope that her presence and calming words did some good.

Eventually the tears subsided. Louis looked up wearily, his eyes rid-rimmed and wet. “Clem…” his throat was hoarse. “I’m sorry I scared you. Are you OK?”

“Me? Louis, don’t worry about me,” Clementine placed a hand on Louis’ cheek, wiping away some of the tears. “Are _you_ OK?”

“I-” Louis gulped harshly, the emotions rising within him again. “I can’t talk about it. Not right now,”

“That’s fine,” Clementine brushed a dreadlock out of his eyes. “Let’s get you inside. I think you could use some rest,” They got to their feet together, rather shaky at first but slowly making their way to the dorms.

Ruby bustled behind them. “Will _somebody_ who’s not 4’9” or using a prosthetic leg come over and help?”

Aasim hurried over, taking Louis’ other side. Prisha met them on the walkway, taking Clementine’s place as they led Louis upstairs. Louis didn’t seem as woozy now; he was simply exhausted. His feet dragged underneath him as they made their way through the hallway, approaching the room he shared with Clementine and A.J. 

Violet was waiting by the door. She opened it for them, remaining silent as they shuffled inside and lay Louis upon the bed. Once everyone had filed out except Clementine, Violet stepped inside, walking over to where Clem sat on the bed gently running her fingers through Louis’ hair. “I can stay with him if you need me to. I know you were working on something important today,”

Clementine considered the offer for a second. She had been working with Aasim on a strategy with which to approach a group they’d spotted along the riverbank. They hadn’t seen them in person yet but had come across their campsites in their patrols. This wasn’t something that could be set aside indefinitely. “Thanks. I won’t be long,”

Violet nodded. “I’ll let you know if anything happens,”

Clementine looked down at Louis. His eyes were closed, fluttering eyelashes showing he wasn’t yet asleep. His cheeks were still wet with tears, his face reddened from exertion. She couldn’t imagine what had traumatized him so deeply. She hoped he’d tell her later, but only if it would help. Right now he needed to sleep. “I’ll be back soon, OK, Lou?”

He weakly nodded.

Clementine placed a gentle kiss against his cheek before rising to her feet. Unsure what else to say, she left the room.

\---

The meeting with Aasim didn’t last much longer. Both of them knew whatever plan they came up with would be thrown out the window once actual interaction with the group complicated manners. After attempting to plan for several contingencies, they decided to call it a night. Aasim and Prisha would head out tomorrow to meet with the travelers if all went well. With that done, the two of them headed outside to grab dinner.

Everyone at the table was curious to know how Louis was doing. Ruby had gone up to check on him, bringing some food and water up with her. She reported that Louis appeared physically healthy. She expected him to fully recover but couldn’t give them an estimate on how long that would take. She was also adamant that the matter of what traumatized Louis must be laid to rest, only brought up by him if he wished to discuss it. She glared pointedly at A.J. and Willy at that part of the conversation, making it clear that they were the ones she was addressing first and foremost.

Clementine gulped down her food quickly, not really tasting anything as her thoughts were still with Louis.

A.J. watched her worriedly. He’d eaten even faster than her, as usual. “I can sleep in Willy’s room tonight if that’s better for Louis,”

“That’s a great idea, kiddo. It’ll probably be better to visit tomorrow. I bet Louis will be happy to see you then,”

A.J.’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I know! Willy and I will make Louis a get-well card! He’ll love that! Just like when we made one for Omar when he caught a cold!”

“That was very considerate,” Omar noted, a warm smile on his face as he watched the two boys. “If you want, you two can head out now. I’ll handle the dishes,”

“Woohoo!” Willy cheered, jumping up from the table. “Race you to the dorms, A.J.!” With that he was off like a shot.

“Quiet _walking_ , boys,” Ruby called after them, but it was too late. They were long gone.

“Well, I’m going to head up too,” Clementine rose to her feet, grabbing her bowl to clear her spot. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” With a series of murmured goodbyes following her, she was off. It didn’t take long to reach the door of her room. It was quiet inside. Clementine slowly cracked open the door, peeking inside.

Violet was sitting upon the edge of the bed where Louis’ lay, holding a card close up to her face. “Ah, this fucker. I remember last time I drew this one. You dared me to burp the ABCs. A week and a half into dating Prisha too. Jerk,” She picked up another card, a smile crossing her face this time. “Now _this_ one was the card you drew in the last round you lost. How’d it feel when Aasim made you tell Clem about those three months when your voice couldn’t decide whether to crack or not and everything you said came out all squeaky? Never mind, don’t tell me. I can imagine it just fine,”

Louis lay beside Violet, his eyes open now. One of his hands held Violet’s, leaving her with only one free hand to look at his cards. He was still silent, but seemed at peace now, at least externally. 

Both of them looked up at Clementine as she stepped into the room.

“Sorry to interrupt,”

“Nah, I was just telling Louis about some stupid shit to help pass the time. I can head out if you want,”

“Or you can stay,” Clementine looked to Louis, but it was impossible to get a read on his emotions.

“I’ll head out for now,” Violet gently slipped her hand out of Louis’. “See you tomorrow, Lou,”

“Prisha’s still outside if you’re looking for her,” Clementine offered.

“Thanks,” Violet slipped out quickly, shutting the door behind her. Clementine knew she’d been worried about Prisha ever since she and Louis had returned to the school. She appreciated her willingness to keep watch over Louis in spite of that. At the same time, seeing Louis like this had probably troubled Violet deeply as well. It wasn’t easy being torn two ways.

Clementine sat down on the bed, removing her boots and setting aside her prosthetic before crawling up beside Louis and slipping her arms around him. She placed a soft kiss against the back of his neck, sighing as she rested her head against him. They were silent together, the only sound in the room the buzzing of the cicadas outside. Clementine could feel Louis’ heartbeat, slow, steady. He would be alright. She had to believe that. 

“I saw my dad today,” Louis’ voice came out dry, cracked. “Or at least I thought I did,”

Clementine wasn’t sure what to make of that. Of all the things she’d worried might have happened to Louis, seeing a parent wasn’t one of them. She remained silent, wondering if Louis would say more.

“It was that walker, the one Prisha mentioned. I took it out and then, its face-” Louis choked, the emotions becoming too much for him to handle once more. 

Gently, Clementine turned him over so he could sob against her shoulder, his body shaking as she held him as tightly as she could. Softly she hummed to him, the same tune she used when A.J. was young. 

It took a few minutes for Louis to still once more. He pulled away slightly, his eyes still watery. “I don’t know if it was him. It probably wasn’t. Just somebody who looked like him. It was an old walker too, all dried up. I’m surprised it looked like anything at all,”

Clementine played with one of Louis’ dreads as he spoke, curling and uncurling it round her finger. He hadn’t talked much about his parents, only a few times in passing since that hootenanny the night before they stormed the Delta. From what he’d said, she didn’t think Louis father had been a very kind man. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t mourn him. The feeling he was recounting was all too real to her. Her right hand tightened round his waist.

Louis was still trapped within his own thoughts. “I used to wonder if they’d come for me, my mom and dad. They had the money and resources to pull it off, either one of them. Still, with the whole word going up in flames at once I guess money didn’t count for shit then. They probably died long ago a thousand miles away from here,”

“It hurts not knowing,” Clementine murmured. “I remember when everything started and my parents were gone, I used to carry around this old walkie talkie at all times. Even though I knew it wouldn’t work that way, I used to use it to talk to them, pretend that Lee and I were going to find them. And when we did…” Her voice trailed off.

Louis’ eyes widened. He’d heard this story before. “Clem, I- shit. Your parents. That’s exactly what happened. You saw them and here I am crying about some stranger in the woods and bringing it all back for you,” He shifted as if to move away.

“No, Louis,” Clementine gripped his shoulders, keeping him in place. “What happened with my parents was a long time ago. This happened today. You don’t have to worry about me. I can handle it,”

Louis looked so unsure. His hand reached out, a thumb running along Clementine’s cheek.

“I can handle it, I promise,” Clementine could feel her heart pounding in her ears. She’d buried that day so deep within her heart. She never let herself dwell on it, never even dared touch it. “I can handle it, I can,” Louis’ hand was warm against her skin, his fingers curled within her hair. She needed a haircut. Clementine felt tears stinging her own eyes. “I-I…”

Now she was the one crying. Louis’ arms were tight against her back, holding Clementine close. She could feel her shoulders shaking but she couldn’t stop them. She didn’t want to be back there in that moment. All the terror, the shame, the despair she felt that day, how could she still feel that pain? Why could it never go away? Her hair felt wet. Louis was still crying too. They were just two kids again, lonely, abandoned, helpless. Clinging to each other.

Clementine wasn’t sure how long it took before she felt herself drifting free of the crippling pain. She reached up blindly, shifting so she could see Louis’ face once more. The depths of fear and love within his eyes centered her. He needed her. And he was here for her. Resting her head upon his chest, Clementine let out a shaky sight. “We’re both fucking messes, aren’t we?”

“I suppose so,” Louis’ fingers travelled down her spin, mapping out each vertebra. “I’m sorry I brought that all back for you,”

“It’s never fully gone. It would have come out sooner or later. I’m glad it was with you,”

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” Louis murmured. “I guess what scared me the most about seeing that walker was wondering which reality I wanted to be true: that my dad is holed up in some underground bunker alive and well or that he died on his way to rescue me,” He was silent for a moment, thoughtful. “Can I ask a question, even if it might be awful?”

Clementine simply nodded.

“Does knowing that they’re dead help?”

There wasn’t an easy answer for that. “Maybe sometimes. I know for sure I don’t have anything or anybody waiting for me outside these walls. Then again, some days I wish I could just believe that they’re alive and happy, not wandering the streets of Savannah like that,” She looked up at Louis. “Wherever your parents are, I know they’d want you to be happy and safe too, no matter what happened between you. They’re your parents,”

Louis’ eyes were turned away, his jaw tense. “If either of them looked for me after all, if _that_ happened to them because of me-”

“Louis,” Clementine held his face in her hands, turning it downwards to look at him. “You’re worth saving. You always have been,” 

That’s when she saw it. The same shock and confusion on Louis’ face that had been there when she told him he was too important to lose. Deep down he was still that scared little boy abandoned at the gates of Ericson just like she was a terrified little girl trying to escape the streets of Savannah.

But then his expression shifted. Louis closed his eyes, bringing his forehead to rest against Clementine’s. “You always believe in me, no matter what,”

“You’ve never given me reason not to,”

Louis’ hand drifted over to Clementine’s. They rose together, the pads of their fingers barely touching. “I’m never going to get any answers. Not about my dad or my mom. I’ll be OK though, because I have you,” His eyes caught hers, a small light shining within them. “You and all the others,”

He was going to be alright. Clementine felt a tension loosen within her at his words. “Are you feeling better now?”

Louis was silent before looking back at her. “Is it alright if I’m not? Not yet at least. Not completely,”

Clementine nodded. “Take your time. However long you need,” She pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. “I’ll be right here with you,” 

“I love you, Clementine,” Louis murmured, burying his head in the crook of her neck.

“I love you too,” 

The room had darkened as they’d spoken, night creeping upon them. Clementine felt her eyelids flutter shut, the exhaustion of the day seeping out from her very bones. Louis’ breathing was steady and soft beside her. That was all she could ask for. They’d make it through this, just like they had with everything else. They’d continue – together.


End file.
